More Good News: Acceptance Letter from The Finger Magazine

The Finger is an international literary journal based in Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC).

FLCC is a part of the State University of New York (SUNY). Got that part from wikipedia :)

My poem "The Podium" will be featured in their Spring 2013 issue. That piece was actually a surprise. I wrote it in such a way that it would reflect the current politics in the Philippine literary community, but it would still resonate with readers from other countries. Though I wasn't sure if I wrote it clear enough... I wanted to make it accessible since cliques aren't solely the bane (boon?) of Philippine literati circles. They're everywhere. Having published short form poetry in several international journals, I've also seen some disappointing backstabbing and mudslinging going on among the writers and their leaders.

Sometimes we dirty ourselves because we want to win (in a contest). Sometimes we've already won our spot and just want to eternalize ourselves on the pedestal. But that's just me spoiling the poem for the (future) readers... I'll stop now.

Porcupine Happy Pill for the Weekend

I think my week's absolutely made! :D This video of a happy porcupine-who-thinks-he's-a-puppy totally gave me the happy-wappy vibes to get through the week. *SQUEEEE!!*

SNIFF!!

Cold cold go away come again another day!
It's not even cold. It's sizzling summer. Waddup?

On a random note, took a pic of cool spies climbing up the new building in Ayala... Of course they're not really spies :P

13th IYAS National Writers’ Workshop fellows named

From Panitikan:

 

The IYAS National Writers’ Workshop of the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City, has selected 15 Fellows for 2013, out of 82 applicants nationwide.

The fellows for fiction are Leon Cedric Tan and Michael Aaron Gomez (English), Danilo Niño Calalang and Jay Jomar Quintos (Filipino), Manuel Avenido Jr. and Kareen Kristeen Bughaw (Cebuano).

The fellows for poetry are Stefani Patricia Kelly Tran and Roberto Klemente Timonera (English), Rommel Roxas and John Elmar Templonuevo (Filipino), Ma. Carmie Flor Ortego and Erik Enriquez Tuban (Cebuano), JP Anthony Cuñada, Winston Gallo, and Nikos Primavera (Hiligaynon).

IYAS will interface with the Kritika National Workshop on Art and Cultural Criticism sponsored by the Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center and the NCCA, which will also be held on the same dates at the University of St. La Salle.

The interface activities include a film screening of “Pureza,” a film by Jay Abello on the sugar industry; a craft and criticism forum by Dr. Roland Tolentino and Dr. Dinah Roma-Sianturi; and an introduction to Negrense culture through trips to cultural landmarks in Bacolod, Talisay, Silay, and Victorias cities.

The IYAS Workshop Director is Dr. Dinah Roma-Sianturi and the panelists for this year are Dr. Genevieve Asenjo, Dr. Ronald Baytan, Prof. Danilo M. Reyes, Ms. Grace Monte de Ramos, and Prof. John Iremil Teodoro.  Dr. Marjorie Evasco and Dr. Elsie Coscolluela also sit in the panel. 

The IYAS National Writers’ Workshop is co-sponsored by the Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center of De La Salle University and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and will be held on April 21 – 27, 2013 at the Balay Kalinungan Complex of the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City.

Ice Cream on a Hot Day, and Haiku, Too

Oh man! What's up with this heat? I know it's summer, but this is an all new high (temperature). The Philippines has clocked a lot of hottest days these past few weeks. Good thing there's ice cream :D

Tried out this new place in Eastwood City, called Swensen's. They have lots of sundaes and banana splits. We tried out the one served on a waffled cone.

Midnight Brownies, Cookies and Cream, Choc Peanut Butter

Yesterday, I got some good news again. I got a haiku accepted in Shamrock Haiku Journal, the journal of the Irish Haiku Society. It is edited by Anatoly Kudryavitsky, who was so kind as to add me to their Facebook group as well. That's really cool. I think this is what writers lack. Community.

I think I should go see many more places in the Philippines. They yield some of the better material I've written over the years. Sometimes, you do have to look for inspiration. Which reminds me, I should write about that Japanese shipwreck my bf and I visited in Coron, Palawan.

My First Publication in the UK

Lots of good news this week! Just finished a new short story, and my poem "Piso" got accepted in Poetry Cornwall, a magazine edited by Les Merton. The poem will be available in print this July 2013.

About Poetry Cornwall:

Poetry Cornwall/Bardhonyeth Kernow publishes around 70 poets per issue.

This includes a blend of well known names and encouraged newcomers,
with a range of themes, poetic forms and styles.

Every issue features poets from around the world.

Poets from the following countries have been included:
Australia, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy,
Kernow, Malta, Man, New Zealand, Wales, Scotland, Spain, USA and Zambia,

The language and translation pages have poems published
in the author's original language with English translation.
Languages featured include:
Basque, Bemba/Zambian, Chilean, French, Irish Gaelic, Italian,
Kernewek, Mandarin, Manx Gaelic, Maori, Spanish and Welsh.

(The Scottish Poetry Library congratulated Poetry Cornwall/Bardhonyeth Kernow
on its coverage of minority languages especially Celtic ones
and also for including European poetry in translation)

Another popular feature is dialect poetry this has included:
Black Country, Cardiff, Cornish, Devonish, Norfolk,
Jamaican, Shankill Road and Yorkshire dialects.

Yahoo!